1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an automatic tool changer applicable to a machine tool, and more particularly, to an automatic tool-changing arm of an automatic tool changer being stably controllable and having a power clamp that serves to firmly hold a tool.
2. Description of Related Art
An ATC (Automatic Tool Changer) is typically provided to a machine tool to significantly improve the efficiency of the machine tool by saving time in moving, switching, installing and storing tools as well as adjusting and calibrating the machine tool. That is to say, the reliability as well velocity of an ATC can directly affect the efficiency of a machine tool it serves and thus are usually taken as the major index for design, selection and evaluation of an ATC.
The conventional ATC generally has a tool magazine for storing tools and an automatic tool-changing arm simultaneously holding and exchanging a tool to be replaced as well as another tool to be assembled to a machine tool. Traditionally, the tool-changing arm is designed with a relatively simple structure. Particularly, tool clamps thereof are formed as single-side-opening hooks for holding tools with a simple engagement mechanism. The transitional tool-changing arm is disadvantaged by incapability of accurately controlling the tool exchange and the risk of falling tools. Thus, the stability and reliability of the conventional ATC need to be improved. Besides, the transitional tool-changing arm is not adaptable to all the existing tool holders of various specifications, such as the Japanese style and the US style.
Hence, a need exists for providing an automatic tool changer with a tool-changing arm having excellent stability, reliability and industrial applicability.